Some Precautions to Take Before You Climb onto That Tower

July 3, 2017

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All types of construction work are dangerous. In fact, most workplace accidents occur within that industry. One of the reasons for that is that scaffolding is such a common tool that makes people work at great heights, which is dangerous by nature. When seeing scaffolding Washington DC work being completed, you may be shocked at just how high these towers are. They also hold lots of workers and lots of construction materials at the same time. Although scary-looking, these towers are one of the safer construction tools out there, because they offer freedom of movement and because they can be locked in place. That said, it is imperative that these towers are properly maintained and properly used in order to make sure workers can always be safe. In so doing, the chance of accidents can be significantly reduced, as can the associated accidents.

What Is Scaffolding?

A scaffolding tower is made up of three main parts, being the couplers, the boards, and the tubes. Tubes are hugely made from aluminum, although steel models also exist. Aluminum is preferred, however, due to its durability, its flexibility, and the fact that it is lightweight. The couples attach the boards to the tubes, so that humans and their tools can access it. Usually, scaffolding boards are 50mm to 63mm and are made of seasoned wood.

In most cases, the scaffolding tower is attached to a building using ties, creating increased stability. Independent, or non-attached, towers also exist, which is the mobile tower. This is mounted on lockable castors or wheels that can swivel. These towers can be moved from one location to the next.

Scaffolding Safety

For scaffolding to be used, safety must be a top priority. This starts when setting the tower up and ends when it is taken back down and stored. All work should be done under the supervision and guidance of a competent and trained supervisor. The tower should have guidelines provided from the manufacturers and these must be reviewed and used, as each tower will have some small differences in terms of how it should be put together and taken back down.

The guidelines should also include details about how to use the tower itself, which must be followed to the letter. The responsibility for this lies with management, but scaffolders must also take personal responsibility for their own safety. This includes carrying out inspections before each use of the tower. If even the smallest defect is detected, work should cease and the problem should be reported.

There are some additional safety precautions to consider, including guard rails and safety harnesses for each worker. These will ensure that, should someone fall, the fall will be buffered to a degree. Safety harnesses should be given to anyone who works more than six feet from the ground. The vast majority of workplace accidents in the construction industry are avoidable, but they do require workers, supervisors, and managers, to work together and to be committed to safe working procedures.